Africa Union Urges United Stand Against ICC Trials

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union is urging its members to "speak with one voice" against criminal proceedings at the International Criminal court against sitting presidents.

The 54-nation organization says it is disappointed that a request to the U.N. Security Council to defer the trials of Kenya's leaders "has not yielded the positive result expected."

Only Botswana has opposed the African Union's stand on the matter, made in a statement received Saturday after a summit in Ethiopia attended by 34 leaders.

Kenya's president and his deputy face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for allegedly orchestrating post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people were killed following a disputed presidential election in late 2007. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, deny the charges.